The two major political organization in the United States and Texas are political parties and interest groups. They are both similar in that they are composed of groups of individuals in order to increase their strength and influence, but there is a major difference between the two. While interest groups seek to influence the decisions made by governing institutions, political parties attempt to control them by competing in and winning elections to office.
Interest Groups: . . . organizations or associations formed by individuals, businesses, or other entities to advocate for specific policies, issues, or interests within a society or political system. These groups are often focused on influencing public policy, legislation, and government decisions in line with their members' objectives. Interest groups can operate at various levels of government (local, state/provincial, national, or international) and across different sectors of society.
Political Parties: . . . an organized group of people who share similar political beliefs and goals, and who seek to influence public policy by getting their candidates elected to public office. Political parties play a central role in representative democracies by offering voters a coherent set of policies and positions on various issues, and by mobilizing support for their candidates during elections.
Collective Action:
Free Riders:
Selective Incentives:
Lecture Topics
- Collective Action, the Free Rider Problem and Selective Incentives.
- Albany Congress.
- Sons of Liberty.
- First Continental Congress.
- Political Parties.
- Rise of political parties.
- The Two Party System.
- Political Eras / Party Systems of the United States.
- Loyalists v Revolutionaries (Patriots).
- Texas Party Platforms.
- Political Machines.
- Eras - Political Party.
- Voter Turnout.
Political Parties
- political parties
- interest groups
- collective action
- ambition
- nominations
- recruitment
- GOTV
- providing choices
- candidates
- primaries
- closed
- open
- caucus
- factions
- coalitions
- parties in government
- congress
- majority party
- president
- the judiciary
- parties in the electorate
- party identification
- psychological attachment
- ideological affinity
- tally of experiences
- party activists
- groups
- pluralism
- gender gap
- parties as institutions
- donors
- consultants
- national, state, local organizations
- conventions
- congressional campaign committees
- NRCC, NRSC, DCCC, DSCC
- party systems
- two party system
- winner-take-all
- proportional representation
- party machines
- minor parties
- political parties
- faction
- coalition
- nonpartisan / partisan elections
- winner take all elections
- elite politics
- mass politics
- Democratic Party
- Republican Party
- minor parties
- two party system
- party eras
- minor parties
- party boss
- party machine
- New Deal
- New Deal Coalition
- GOP
- party identification
- straight ticket voter
- split ticket voter
- base voters
- Republican Factions
- Democratic Factions
- party organization
- party platform
- party organization
- party in government
- party in the electorate
- the big tent
- party caucus
- partisanship
- divided government
- conservative
- decentralization
- Duverger's Law
- two party system
- gerrymandering
- Legislative Redistricting Board
- liberal
- New Deal
- partisans
- party competition
- party platform
- reapportionment
- redistricting
- winner-take-all elections
Interest Groups
- organized interests
- unorganized interests
- formal groups
- informal groups
- factions
- interest groups
- lobbies
- collective action
- incentives to not participate
- selective incentives
- lobbying
- think tanks
- public interest
- social movements
- upper class bias
- political participation
- direct participation
- association
- schools of democracy
- deliberation
- pluralism
- membership
- financial structure
- leadership
- staff
- cooperation
- prisoner's dilemma
- free ridership
- problems of large groups
- anonymity, no difference, enforcement
- informational benefits
- material benefits
- solidary benefits
- purposive benefits
- insider strategies
- lobbying
- regulations
- using the courts
- outsider strategies
- going public
- advertising
- social movements
- protests
- electoral politics
- PACs
- independent expenditures
- voter turnout
- voter initiatives
- agency capture
- amicus curiae briefs
- astroturf lobbying
- disclosure
- electioneering
- elite theory
- free rider problem
- grassroots lobbying
- interest groups
- iron triangle
- issue network
- lobbying
- pluralist theory
- private interest groups
- public interest groups
- recuse
- revolving door
- selective benefits
- transactional theory